Water-meter.



PATENTED JULY 12, 1904.

F. LAMBERT. WATER METER.

APPLIOATION FILED D20. 15. 1903.

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No. 764,605. PATENTED JULY 12, 1904. P. LAMBERT. WATER METER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED D30. 15, 1903.

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Irma Liar" 44% W AW Q M M M g y Patented July 12, 1904.

FRANK LAMBERT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WATER-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,605, dated July 12,1904. Application filed December 15, 1903. Serial No. 185,222x (N0model.)

To mZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LAMBERT, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York city, borough of Brooklyn, Kings county, State ofNew York, have invented Improvements in ater-Meters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to water-meters, and has for its object toprovide means for totalizing and registering the measurement of waterpassing through the meter, which means will prevent accidental orfraudulent subtraction or change from the true-registration.

ater-meters in common use are capable of being connected up in theservice-pipe in either directionthat is, the meter maybe so connected tothe service-pipe that water will flow in at the outlet of the meter andout at its inlet, which causes the measuring device to rotate in adirection to run the register backward instead of forward.

By my present invention. I provide means whereby theregistering-indexes, or some of them, are kept moving in the sameconstant direction regardless in which direction the measuring devicemay operate. If desired, I may also cause this registering mechanism torun forward at a faster rate when the meter is reversed than when it isconnected up normally. Thus fraudulent or accidental reversal of themeter will not allow the register to run backward. Another way ofchanging from a true registration is tobreak the glass over theregisters and either turn the wheels of the mechanism backward, wherepossible, or when backward. motion is prevented to turn the wheelsforward until the highest indication is reached and passed and the indexreaches Zero again in its forward motion. To circumvent any suchpractice, the measuring and registering devices comprise interlockingparts that prevent independent motion of any of the parts, andconsequently the register can only be moved by the motion of themeasuring device.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown two ways of carrying myinvention into effect; but I do not limit .myself to any particularmeans for accomplishing my object of having the register totalize andregister all the water passing through the meter in either direction.

Figure 1 is a central sectional view of one form of water-meter to whichmy inventiori is applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of theregister, having the dial-plate partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a sideview of the register looking at Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrow 3.Fig. 4 is a partial sectional plan of the register, showing a differentposition of the parts. Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of a register,showing another modification, the dial-plate being partly broken away.Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is asectional view taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 6, but drawn to a larger scale.

IVhile it will be evident that I do not limit my invention to anyparticular form of meter, in Figjl I have represented a well-known typeof water-meter having a disk piston 1 capable of being operated by waterflowing through the meter in either direction, but arranged to beconnected up normally in a service-pipe with the inlet at 2 and theoutlet at 3. The spindle 4 of the disk piston 1 actuates the spindle 5,which in turn communicates its motion in any suitable manner, as throughreducing-gears, to the pinion (3, which is fast to the spindle 7, Figs.1, 2, and 3, carrying the index or pointer 8 for the units or first dialof the register dial-plate E). l/Vith this construction the motion ofthe units or other fast-speeding index will always indicate the way inwhich the meter is connected upthat is, it will turn round on its dialfrom Zero to 1, 2, 3, 620., in the regular way when the meter isconnected up properly to admit the water at the inlet 2,

but will turn backward when the meter is wrongly connected.

Assuming that the fast-speeded spindle 7 is the units-spindle, as shown,then Iintroducea device whereby the rotary motion of the unitsspindle7in either direction will impart rotary motion to the tens-spindle 1Oalways in the same direction, so that the parts of the register beyondthe units-dial will add up constantly all motion of the measuring deviceregardless of the direction of motion of the latter.

To the spindle 7 I suitably secure an eccentric 11, Figs. 2 and 4,adapted to reciprocate a feed-slide 12, which latter has a recess 13 inwhich the eccentric 11 works. The slide 12 is guided in itsreciprocations by means of studs 14 and 15, secured to the gear-plate18, which studs engage in slots 19 and 20, respectively, in the slide12. The eccentric 11 is shown with a flange 21 above the feed-slide 12to prevent the latter from being displaced vertically.

The reciprocating feed-slide has two pawl portions or pallets 22 23,which engage the teeth of the star-wheel 24, fast on the tensspindle 10,the pallet 22 only releasing the star-wheel when the pallet 23 is movingit forward, Fig. 2, and the pallet 23 in turn onlyreleasing thestar-wheel when the pallet 22 is engaged with it to move'it forward,Fig. 4. This feed-slide 12 always moves the star-wheel in the directionof its arrow and with its pallets 22 and 23 acts as an escapementtoprevent any motion of the star-wheel not imparted to it by the slide.

When the meter is operated normally, the spindle 7 and its eccentric 11rotate in the direction of the arrow 11, Fig. 2; but it will be evidentthat in whichever direction this spindle 7 and eccentric 11 rotate theeccentric will reciprocate the slide 12that is, will give it one forwardand one backward motion at each complete rotation. The parts are socalculated that at each complete turn of the eccentric 11 the star-wheel24, fast on the tensspindle 10, will be moved one tooth forward in thedirection of its arrow, the pallets 22 and 23 each giving it practicallyhalf this motion. There being ten teeth on the star-wheel 24, each timethe units-spindle 7 makes acomplete rotation to carry its index 8 aroundits dial the tens-spindle 10, carrying the index 26 for the tens-dial,will move one-tenth of a revolution, no matter whether the index 8 hasmoved forward or backward.

While I prefer to place this transmitting device 12 between theunits-spindle and the tens-spindle to have the units-index indicate howthe meter is connected up, it will be evident that this device or itsequivalent may be placed at any point.

The device described in reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 moves thetens-spindle forward one tooth intermittently during a part of eachhalf-rotation of the units or fast-speeded spindle.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 to 7 there is a continuous motionimparted to the tens-spindle as the units-spindle rotates, the motion ofthe tens-spindle being reduced to one-tenth that of the units-spindle.Referring to these Figs. 5 to 7, the units-spindle 7 has fixed thereto abevel-pinion 30, meshing with a bevel-pinion 31, fast to the shaft 32.Freely mounted rotatively upon the shouldered shaft 32 are two pinions33 and 34, meshing with the crown-wheel 35, preferably at pointsdiametrically opposite. On the enlargedportion of the spindle 32 betweenthe pinions 33 and 34, I mount freely a sleeve 36, having at each end aprojection 37 38, adapted to enter between the teeth of the pinions 33and 34, respectively. Through the sleeve 36 is cut a slanting slot 39,and a pin 40, engaging in the slot 39, is secured in the spindle 32.Then the spindle 32 is rotated, its pin 40 will ride in the slot 39,moving the sleeve longitudinally on the spindle 32 until the pin 40reaches the forward end of the slot calculated from the direction ofmotion of the pin either way. Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 it will be seenthat when the spindle 32 and its pin 40 are rotated in the direction ofthe arrow in Fig. 7, pin 40 will work its way to the lower end (lookingat Fig. 6) of the slot 39 by pushing the sleeve 36 to the right, afterwhich the sleeve 36 will be carried along or rotated by the pin 40 andits spindle 32. It will also be seen that in this position of the sleeve36 its projection 38 is engaged in a space between two teeth of thepinion 34, whereby the said pinion 34 is also made to rotate with thespindle 32. Considering the direction of motion of these parts, it willbe seen that the crown-wheel 35 will be rotated in the direction of itsarrow. The pinion 33 being free will be rotated by crownwheel 35 withoutproducing any effect. Assuming now that units-spindle 7 rotates thespindle 32 in the opposite direction the pin 40 will push the sleeve 36to the left and come to the opposite end of the slot 39, (upper endlooking at Fig. 6,) thus causing the projection 37 to engage in thepinion 33, while at the same time withdrawing the projection 38 fromengagement with the pinion 34. The spindle 32 then carries the sleeve 36and the pinion 33 with it in a direction opposite that indicated by thearrow in Figs. 6 and 7; but it will be seen that this motion of thepinion 33 will impart motion to the crown-wheel 35 in the direction ofits arrow the same as when the crown-wheel was rotated by the pinion 34.Now the pinion 34 being disengaged is rotated by the crown-wheel 35without producing any effect.

From the foregoing it is evident that in whichever direction the spindle32 is rotated the direction of rotation of the pinions 33 and 34 and ofthe crown-wheel 35 will always remain the same, because when the spindle32 moves in one direction it engages one pinion and when it moves in theother direction it engages the other pinion, which pinions being on oneshaft in engagement with a crownwheel must always move in opposite directions.

The parts are so constructed that one of the projections 37 or 38 onsleeve 36 must engage with its pinion before the other projection hasbecome disengaged from its pinion, so that the sleeve 36 can never takesuch a position that it will not engage with and operate one of thepinions 33 or 34, consequently making a positively-acting movement.

The crown-Wheel 35 is carried by the stud 41 and has fast thereto apinion 4:2, constituting an intermediate gear-wheel to convey motion tothe tens-spindle or next higher graduation.

With the construction just described the rotation of the firstindex-spindle 7 in either direction imparts continuous motion to thenext index-spindle 9, always in the same constant direction.

By giving one of the pinions 33 34 more teeth than the other theproportionate rate of speed between the units and tens spindles willvary according to the direction of rotation of the units-spindle.Consequently, assuming that in the normal running of the meter thepinion 33 is engaged by the sleeve 36 and pinion 34 is given one moretooth than pinion 33, then should the meter be connected up in the Wrongdirection the register Would run up faster for the same amount of Waterpassing through the meter than when connected up normally to punishfraudulent practice.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a water-meter adapted tobe connected up in a water service-pipe in either direction and providedwith a measuring device adapted to measure water passing through thesaid meter in either direction, with means actuated by said measuringdevice for registering the total amount of fluid passing through themeter in either or both directions, said means comprising a series ofmovable parts interlocked to prevent independent motion.

2. The combination of a water-meter adapted to be connected up in awater service-pipe in either direction and provided with a rotarymeasuring device adapted to be rotated by, and measure, water passingthrough the meter in either direction, with means actuated by saidmeasuring device to register the total amount of rotary motion of saiddevice in either or both directions, said means comprising a series ofmovable parts interlocked to prevent independent motion.

3. The combination of a water-meter adapted to be connected up in awater service-pipe in either direction and provided with a measuringdevice adapted to measure water pass ing through the meter in eitherdirection, with a registering mechanism mechanically actuated by saidmeasuring device, said registering mechanism having indexes of variousdenominations adapted to rotate in a predetermined direction, and meanswhereby the rotation of some of said indexes is reversed and therotation of some of them is not when the direction of the motion of themeasuring device is reversed.

L. In a meter, a measuring device adapted to be actuated by fluidpassing through the meter in the normal direction or in the reversedirection, registering mechanism, and means for running up the saidmechanism at a certain rate proportionate to the motion of the measuringdevice when normally actuated, said means adapted to continue to run upthe said registering mechanism but at a higher proportionate rate whenthe measuring device is actuated in the reverse direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK LAMBERT.

itnesses:

MABELLE F. LAKE, EDITH J. GRIswoLD.

